Óscar Fernández has been appointed president of the Peruvian Sports Institute following the resignation of Sergio Ludeña over a toxic hostel fumigation incident.
The Peruvian government confirmed the appointment of Óscar Fausto Fernández Cáceres through a supreme resolution published in the official gazette El Peruano. The document was signed by President Keiko Fujimori and Minister of Education José Chang Escobedo.
The leadership change follows the resignation of Sergio Luis Ludeña, who stepped down amid public criticism over an environmental sanitation incident at the Villa Deportiva Nacional sports complex in Lima.
Fumigation incident at Videna hostel
The incident occurred on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at approximately 6:00 p.m., when the Institute ordered chemical fumigation at the hostel inside the complex. The national judo team and its coaching staff were still inside the building, exposing roughly 15 athletes to harmful chemical substances.
Yuliana Bolívar, coach of the national judo team, criticised the Institute's handling of the situation during an interview with local radio station RPP. She reported that affected athletes suffered nosebleeds, chest pain, and back pain, adding that the sudden chemical treatment placed the squad's participation in an international competition scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, in jeopardy.
Before stepping down, Ludeña's administration issued an official statement describing the fumigation as unscheduled. The Institute announced the dismissal of officials responsible for authorizing, managing, supervising, and coordinating environmental sanitation services at the hostel, while coordinating medical evaluations for affected athletes with the Peruvian Judo Sports Federation.
Past tenure and hiring controversy
This marks the second time Fernández has led the Peruvian Sports Institute, having previously served as its president between December 2016 and August 2018.
Fernández resigned from the post in late August 2018 following revelations that he had hired three friends of his wife, Karina Flores Núñez, without public competition. According to a report by television programme Punto Final, he appointed Paula Abanto as an analyst, Elizabeth López as administrative secretary, and Olga Breña as a bilingual assistant, with monthly salaries ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 soles.
Addressing the allegations at the time, Fernández defended the hirings by stating that the women were trusted professionals and that the agency required personnel he could rely on.
Academic background and athletic career
Fernández holds a law degree from Universidad San Martín de Porres and completed specialized studies in municipal management at ESAN Graduate School of Business. He has accumulated more than 25 years of experience in both public and private sector administration, including a previous role as director of physical education and sports at the Ministry of Education.
Before entering public administration, Fernández was a high-performance track and field athlete between 1986 and 1994. He represented Peru at major international events, including the 1987 World Athletics Championships in Rome and the 1989 World University Games in Germany. He later served as president of the Peruvian Athletics Federation from 2014 to 2016.
